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A new £1.6 million supercomputer will accelerate UK research for EV batteries

Michael, a new £1.6 million supercomputer funded by the Faraday Institution, has been installed at University College London to accelerate UK battery research projects. The state-of-the-art technology will allow researchers to speed up time-scales on running battery simulations, reducing what could take weeks to just less than 24 hours.

The cutting-edge supercomputer will assist over 110 researchers focused on creating new models for battery systems and researching next-generation, solid-state batteries. The supercomputer offers the much-needed capacity to UK researchers who are working to solve some of the most challenging problems in energy storage. It will enable more detailed simulations to be run on battery projects, in a fraction of the time.

Michael will give researchers and their industry partners the ability to design advanced batteries without the cost of creating numerous prototypes. It will do this by eradicating the need to test every new material, or new type and configuration of the cells that make up a battery pack.

Business Secretary, Greg Clark said:

“The UK is a world leader in battery technology and as part of our modern Industrial Strategy, we have spent nearly a quarter of a billion pounds backing the industry through the Faraday Institution.

“Michael will be testament to proving our battery research capabilities and will help maintain the UK’s success in the electric vehicle sector, ensuring we reap the economic benefits in the global transition to a low carbon economy.”

To find out more about Michael and the Faraday Institution projects it will support, click here.